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Importing Excel data using ODBC

Question:

I am unable to import data from Excel into BioNumerics or GelCompar II using ODBC.

Answer:

ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) is an exchange protocol between databases. Since a database is composed of one or more tables, ODBC needs to know what table you want to import from, in addition to the database name. Excel doesn't support tables as it is not a real database. There are two solutions, however.

In Excel you can select a range of cells and enter a name for that selection in the name box (Excel). When you configure the database link in BioNumerics, enter this name in the Table field.

Check the name of the sheet containing your data in Excel. In the Table field, when configuring your database link, enter that sheet name plus a dollar sign ($) at the end. For example, for a default sheet name “Sheet1”, enter “Sheet1$”.